Friday
Meal Plan 1: Everyday Classics
Day 5 · Friday
Breakfast
Peanut Butter and Apple Toast
Ingredients (1 portion)
- 2 slices wholemeal bread
- 2 tbsp peanut butter (about 30 g, 100% peanuts if you can)
- 1 apple
Method
- Put the bread in the toaster.
- While it toasts, cut the apple into quarters, remove the core and slice each quarter as thinly as you can.
- Spread the peanut butter over the hot toast so it melts a little. Lay the apple slices on top, overlapping them.
Why it is a healthy start
Peanut butter brings protein and healthy fats, and the apple adds fibre and a fresh, sweet crunch. Choose a peanut butter with no added sugar or palm oil where you can.
Swaps
Sliced banana instead of apple. A pinch of cinnamon on top. Another nut butter such as almond if you prefer it.
Lunch
Red Lentil and Vegetable Soup
Ingredients (1 large bowl)
- 50 g dried red split lentils
- 1 small onion
- 1 carrot
- 1 clove garlic
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ½ reduced-salt vegetable stock cube
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 350 ml boiling water
- Black pepper
Method
- Peel and finely chop the onion. Peel the carrot and cut it into small cubes, about 1 cm. Peel and chop the garlic.
- Put the lentils in a sieve and rinse them under cold water until the water runs clearer.
- Heat the oil in a small saucepan over a medium heat. Cook the onion and carrot for 5 minutes, stirring, until they begin to soften. Add the garlic and cumin and stir for 30 seconds.
- Crumble in the stock cube, add the lentils and pour in the boiling water. Bring to a simmer.
- Simmer for 20 minutes, partly covered, stirring now and then, until the lentils have collapsed and the carrot is soft. If it gets too thick, add a splash of water.
- Season with black pepper. Taste before adding salt, because the stock cube already has some. For a smoother soup, blitz half of it with a stick blender, or mash it with a fork.
Why it is a healthy lunch
Lentils are cheap, high in protein and fibre, and need no soaking. The soup is mostly vegetables and pulses, with very little fat.
Swaps
A squeeze of lemon at the end brightens it. Chilli flakes add some heat.
Shopping list for this recipeDinner
Baked Salmon with New Potatoes and Green Beans
Ingredients (1 portion)
- 1 fillet salmon (about 130 g, skin on or off)
- 200 g new potatoes
- 100 g green beans
- ½ lemon
- 2 tsp olive oil
- Salt and black pepper
Method
- Heat the oven to 200 °C (180 °C fan). Line a baking tray with baking paper.
- Wash the potatoes and cut any large ones in half so they are all roughly the same size. Put them in a saucepan, cover with cold water, add a pinch of salt and bring to the boil. Simmer for 12 to 15 minutes, until a knife slides in easily.
- Meanwhile, put the salmon on the tray. Rub it with 1 tsp of the oil, squeeze over a little of the lemon juice, and season with salt and pepper.
- Bake the salmon for 12 to 15 minutes. It is ready when it flakes easily with a fork and is opaque, not glassy, all the way through. Thicker fillets need the longer time.
- Trim the stalk ends from the green beans. Add them to the potato pan for the last 4 minutes of cooking. Drain both.
- Toss the potatoes and beans with the remaining oil, a pinch of salt and pepper, and a squeeze of lemon. Serve with the salmon and the remaining lemon cut into a wedge.
Why it is a healthy dinner
Salmon is an oily fish, a good source of protein and of the omega-3 fats that most people eat too little of. With potatoes and beans, one tray and one pan make a balanced plate.
Swaps
Use the other half of Thursday's broccoli in place of the green beans. A cod or haddock fillet works too if you prefer white fish, though it will need a shorter bake. Sprinkle some chopped fresh parsley on top if you have any.
Shopping list for this recipe